Red Rose
by iBloo
Summary: Real world AU. First chapter: It's Sakura's birthday, and Sasuke just wants to spend a day with his wife. However, things don't always go according to plan. Second chapter: It's Sarada's birthday, and she's celebrating with a grand Red Rose party. Will Boruto gift her a red rose to confess?
1. Sakura's Birthday

A/N: Written for my favorite girl's birthday. Have some SasuSaku with a side of BoruSara.

Beta read by: Bingbin

I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Today, she turns thirty-eight. Yet whenever he would set his dark eyes on her, he always does a double take, and think she's only twenty-three. Her beauty and youthful appearance never changed, like her courage and strength, it never wavered.

The sun was rising a little too high for his liking. He usually rose with the sun, in favor of meditating. But not today. Today, he wanted to be with her for as long as she would have him.

Gingerly, he moved a lock of her pink hair away from her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. She shifted and her long lashes fluttered. "Sasuke-kun," she whispered, without really opening her eyes.

"Happy birthday."

Her lips curled up in a smile, and slowly, she opened her green eyes. She snuggled closer to him.

He wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her closer. "Let's have breakfast in the garden. I had the servants prepare it under your favorite cherry blossom tree."

She hummed. "That sounds nice, but I can't."

He pulled away, his lips dipping lightly to a frown. He had this day planned for months. "Why not?"

She shifted her gaze up to face him. "I have patients today, waiting for me at my clinic."

"Take a day off," he grumbled.

She laughed. "Just because you did, doesn't mean I should, too."

He pouted at his wife and pulled her closer, snuggling at her neck, effectively hiding his face.

She laughed again. "Stop being such a spoiled baby!"

Sasuke scowled. "Alright, fine. But I'm going with you to your clinic."

Sakura blinked a few times. Sasuke was a very busy man. He almost never interfered with her work, because he firmly believed that he did not want to bother her in any way. With that kind of thinking, Sakura did the same. They always lived their own worlds when it came to their careers. This whole business of him coming with her to her clinic was a bit of a shock for her. "Alright," she said slowly. A wide grin started to form on her lips. "I'm sure my patients would just love to have you."

* * *

Sakura was sitting in front of her dresser when her husband approached her and presented her with a single red rose. She looked at him through the mirror, a soft smile on her face.

"Every year, you get me one of these," she said sentimentally.

"And I will keep giving you one on your birthday for the rest of my life." He smiled. "It's more than just tradition to me."

She turned to face him and accepted the rose. He swooped down and planted a chaste kiss on her lips. He pulled away and presented her with a small red box. "Sarada wanted me to give you this."

Her eyes lit up. She almost forgot. Her daughter was coming back from boarding school later in the afternoon, to join her and her husband for her birthday dinner. She took the box and opened it. There was a single platinum clip, with a Sakura pattern engraved on it. At the very edge sat the Uchiha clan's crest. The craftsmanship was impeccable. A wide grin grew on her face.

"Is this…" she looked at her husband to explain.

He smirked. "I bet she convinced Sai to sell it to her commission free."

Sakura giggled. Sai was a famous artist, he recently tried his hand into designing jewelry. "How thoughtful of her," she said lovingly. She picked up the clip, and cut the stem of the red rose her husband gave her. She then entwined it with the clip and slipped it into her hair. She looked at the mirror to inspect her handiwork. The left side of her hair was swept back with the clip, holding the rose in place.

Sasuke leaned down to look at her through the mirror. The red rose complimented her beauty even more.

* * *

He walked through the white hospital walls, his steps even and measured. He walked right next to his wife, who was being greeted left and right by various hospital staff.

"Doctor Uchiha!" A young nurse greeted. "Happy birthday!"

She smiled kindly and bowed a bit. "Thank you."

The nurse smiled and nodded at Sasuke with a dreamy smile before walking away.

"Always the popular one." Sasuke smirked.

Sakura feigned hurt. "I'm nowhere near as popular as _you_ , darling."

He glared at her for the quip, without any real malice. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully in return. He hid his smile, and landed his dark eyes at the door to her clinic.

There was a long line of patients waiting at the right side of the door, sitting and waiting. On the left side, it looked like the Yamanaka flower shop decided to change residence. There were bouquets of flowers, and presents stacked on top of the chairs.

Sakura's green eyes widened. Her secretary came out of the clinic to greet them. "Good morning, Doctor Haruno. Happy birthday!" She smiled cheerily. "Mr. Uchiha," she shifted her gaze to him, her smile growing a little wider. "It's so nice to see you again."

Sasuke only nodded in acknowledgement. He was far too distracted by all the flowers and presents waiting for Sakura.

"Good morning, Yuki." Sakura smiled. She shifted her gaze to the left side of her clinic's door. "Are these for me?"

Yuki nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. There's more inside. Mr. Uzumaki's flowers were taking up most of the space, so I had to move some of them out. He also sent a cake over."

She raised her brow. "Naruto?" She followed her secretary inside her clinic, and that's when she saw it. It was the largest display of Sunflowers she had ever seen. It sat on the top of her secretary's desk, taking up all the space. There was a bright orange card sitting in the middle. She took it and read the scratchy handwriting aloud.

" _Happy birthday, Sakura-chan! Don't let that bastard get you down for not throwing you a party today. I planned one for you tomorrow night. Hope you like the flowers. Hima helped me pick them out from Ino's shop. Enjoy the cake, too. Hinata baked that just for you! See ya tomorrow. Love, Naruto._ "

Sasuke growled. He knew it wasn't beneath Naruto to throw Sakura a party. The three of them were childhood friends, after all. There was a reason why Sasuke didn't throw parties for his wife. It was because he wanted to spend time with his wife and daughter, undeterred by anyone else's presence. It didn't mean that his friends weren't important. He just wanted to be selfish every now and then and have the two most important people with him.

"Well, isn't that nice of him?" She grinned. Sakura turned around and faced her husband. "You get today, Sasuke-kun. Tomorrow," she lifted the card and waved it at his face. "We're going to celebrate with everyone else, okay?"

"Aa." He was not going to defy any of her wishes today. Maybe he could try to convince her to skip it tomorrow morning, instead.

"Yuki, please send in the first patient after five minutes. I'll just set up."

"Yes, Dr. Uchiha!" Her gaze shifted then to Sasuke, who was just standing there at Sakura's reception area. "Umm." The girl fidgeted with her clipboard. "Do you need anything else, Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke slowly shifted his dark eyes to her. "No. I will wait for Sakura to finish her shift."

"Ah, oh… Okay." She stuttered. "Just make yourself comfortable, then."

Sasuke nodded and sat down at the bench at the corner of the clinic. He pulled out a book, and started to read. From his perch, he could see Sakura talking to her patients through the glass window, Yuki's desk, as well as the entrance to the clinic. He saw more and more people leaving presents and flowers outside, some even entering just to inform the secretary that they had left a gift.

" _Please tell Dr. Uchiha I left her a gift."_

" _Please send her my thanks, and to have the happiest birthday."_

" _She has done so much for my father. Please tell her I am forever in her debt. Say, does she life daffodils? The Yamanaka shop owner told me likes those."_

" _Can't I please see her for just a minute? I want to hand her my gift."_

Sasuke watched silently from his seat. He knew his wife was popular, but he was still surprised that they always went out of their way to send her gifts and warm greetings on her birthday, and on Christmas. Yuki kindly turned all of their requests to see her down, explaining that she was busy and had a lot of patients to deal with. Some of them waited outside, while others simply left their gifts.

Sasuke's presence did not go unnoticed. Sakura's patients would stare at him, some far less discreet than most. He ignored them, and pretended not to hear.

" _Look at him! He's so handsome."_

" _Is he a movie star? You know, I heard Dr. Uchiha has some popular patients."_

" _Isn't that… isn't that Sasuke Uchiha? The CEO of Uchiha Corp?"_

Sasuke's lips pressed into a fine line. He was not in the mood to brush off any fan girls right now. He only wanted one girl's attention for today, and he was already frustrated enough as it is that she was not giving it to him. Well, not really. But you get it.

A woman with blond hair came in. Her honey colored eyes scanned the clinic's reception area. "Where is Sakura?" She asked Yuki firmly.

The secretary looked up from her computer and stood at attention immediately. "Dr. Senju! Dr. Uchiha is inside with a patient."

Her eyes hardened at the secretary. "Will she finish soon?"

"She-she should!" the girl was a nervous wreck. Sasuke smirked. He knew Tsunade had a penchant for scaring staff.

"Ah, you're here." Tsunade regarded him.

Sasuke stood up and nodded. "Tsunade."

She smirked. "Waiting for her this year, I see."

He inclined his head. "I told her to take the day off."

The doctor snorted. "I've been trying to get her to go on a vacation for two years."

They were interrupted by two teenagers who entered the clinic.

"Sarada."

The girl with dark eyes slightly widened. She was holding a bouquet of pink roses. "Papa? What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for your mother," he explained simply.

"Hey uncle Sasuke." Boruto grinned. He was holding a bouquet of red carnations.

Sasuke's lips dipped into a slight frown as he eyed the flowers. He also didn't like the thought of his daughter being with him. "Boruto."

The blond's grin was as bright as the sun. "Just wanted to stop by and drop off these flowers for Aunty Sakura."

"Oh, everyone's here!" Sakura padded out of her office.

All eyes turned to her, however, Sakura's eyes instinctively gravitated towards her daughter.

"Sarada, you're home. Welcome back!"

Sarada flung herself at her mother and hugged her tightly. "Happy birthday, mama!" She pulled away. "For you." She presented the bouquet of pink roses and grinned. "Do you like the clip I got you?" She peeked at her mother's hair and saw she was wearing it, along with a red rose. Her grin widened. "I'm glad you understood its intended purpose."

Boruto piped in. "Oh, yeah. Come to think of it, you always wear a red rose in your hair on your birthday every year, Aunty Sakura. Is that, like, for good luck or something?"

"It's an Uchiha family tradition," Sarada explained. "Family and close friends usually present pink roses to show appreciation." She then eyed Sasuke carefully, a small smile on her lips. "Lovers and admirers present the female celebrant with a single red rose. It's up to the celebrant to choose whose flower she will wear in her hair, as a sign of her reciprocating her love."

Boruto's blue eyes widened. At this, Sakura explained further. "Usually, it's only done on the celebrant's eighteenth birthday. But Sasuke-kun has been doing this every year since then, just to make sure I still love him," she teased.

Sasuke felt his cheeks heat up. He looked away and scowled. Everyone laughed.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then." Tsunade nodded. She shifted her gaze to her pupil. "Happy birthday, Sakura." With that, she left the clinic.

"Mama," Sarada spoke. "I'll be heading out to have lunch with Boruto, and then we're meeting up with Mitsuki. I'll see you later for dinner?"

Sakura nodded. Boruto handed her the bouquet, and smiled. He promised he would bring Sarada home before seven. Sasuke's body stiffened, but he chose not to speak about the matter. He had a feeling something was going on with those two, but he wanted to wait for Sarada to tell him. His eyes shifted to Sakura, who gave him a sweet smile. His eyes narrowed. He knew that look.

She giggled and handed the bouquet over to Yuki. "Darling," she started. "I have a few more patients. After that, let's grab some lunch?"

Sasuke nodded and sat back down on his perch. He tried his best not to think about how his wife had just embarrassed him earlier, and that his daughter may be potentially dating the dobe's son.

* * *

The two of them went to one of Sakura's favorite restaurants near the hospital. It was a quiet little shop that only accommodated four tables for two.

Sasuke knew that Sakura chose this restaurant today in order to give him some reprieve from her crowded clinic. She was just that thoughtful.

"I'm sorry, darling."

Sasuke lifted his brow. "What are you apologizing for?"

"I'm apologizing that you had to wait outside my clinic all morning." She held his hand, which was resting on top of the table. "I know you planned for us to have lunch at The Leaf today."

His eyes narrowed. He didn't tell anyone of his plans. He even made the reservation himself, just to make sure his secretary didn't blab about it.

Sakura giggled. "I heard from Ino."

"Tch." He looked away. That blonde always was good at retrieving information. He forced himself to calm down and sighed. "It doesn't matter." He shifted his gaze to her. "I just want to spend the day with you, but it seems like I'm forced to share you with everyone else."

Sakura blinked a few times. "Share? Sasuke-kun, you know I'm all yours."

"It's not that," he replied cooly. "You're loved and appreciated by a lot of people for very obvious reasons. I just…" He didn't want to say it out loud. This was always a sort of insecurity for him. For years, he and Sakura had been together, and yet he always felt like she was better off with someone else who could make her happier. He was never the type to give flashy gifts, or throw grand parties for her. He doesn't even recall ever giving her a bouquet of flowers in public.

"I wouldn't trade anything in the world for what I have now, darling." She looked at his dark eyes, and he knew she was looking into his soul. She smiled warmly at him. "This is by far the best birthday ever, because I get to have you near me the whole day."

He felt his lips tug up into a small smile, and he gave her hand a squeeze. No one ever understood him the way Sakura did.

Their food arrived, so they retracted their hands. As the server placed their food in front of them, a sly grin crept up Sakura's face.

"Darling, did you notice the way Boruto's eyes lit up when Sarada explained the Red Rose tradition to him?"

Sasuke scoffed. "He probably doesn't understand it." He lifted the tea cup to his lips.

She chuckled. "Do you think he'll be giving her a red rose on her eighteenth next week?"

He choked on his tea, to which Sakura laughed heartily.

* * *

A/N: This is my contribution to Sakura Week 2018 on tumblr. I told myself I wouldn't join, but I couldn't help it. I just had to publish a fic for Sakura's birthday, despite travelling around. ^^; I just had to throw in some BoruSara, too. Hihi. Would you guys want to see an epilogue? One wherein we find out if Boruto does give Sarada a Red Rose on her eighteenth or not. hihi. Sound off in the reviews!

I would love to hear what you thought about this story. Leave me a review, please? :)

~Kairi


	2. Sarada's Birthday

A/N: I'm a day late, but I wanted to post this for Sarada's birthday! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and asked for more. It motivated me to produce this final chapter.

Beta read by: Bingbin. Thank you so much for your help with this one, love!

I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Eighteen. The age of womanhood. On this momentous occasion, it's tradition for members of the Uchiha clan to present different colored roses to express the meaning of the celebrant's life to them. Pink roses were a common staple gift among family, as this shows great love, admiration, and appreciation for the celebrant. Yellow roses were usually received from friends. Blue roses were gifted by those who held the celebrant dear to them, yet felt that they were unattainable, or that their love was unrequited. This color of rose was uncommon, as this was an occasion wherein Uchihas were expected to be bold with their feelings. The most important one comes next, the ever-popular red rose. Red roses with unique colored ribbons were presented to the celebrant by those who wished to confess their love, and ask if she felt the same. The celebrant would wear the red rose in her hair, tied by the colored ribbon, to reveal to all whose feelings she reciprocated.

* * *

He flipped through the mail that he had retrieved that morning.

"Bills." He flung it to the breakfast table. "Bills." He flung it again. "Bills." He flung three more envelopes before his eyes landed on a luxurious red envelope with silver trimmings. His name was written in a beautiful script font.

 _Boruto Uzumaki_

Gingerly, he opened the envelope, and pulled out a cream colored card. The black font was intricately written. It read:

 _Sasuke and Sakura Uchiha would like to formally invite you to join in celebrating their daughter, Sarada Uchiha's, eighteenth birthday. It will be held in the Uchiha Mansion, on March 31, at six in the evening._

 _Attire: Black Tie_

 _Please RSVP and refer to the card included for the color of rose to be presented to the celebrant._

He pulled out a small silver card from the envelope, he read the legend for the colors of roses to be brought:

 _Pink – appreciation and adoration_

 _Yellow – friendship_

 _Blue – unrequited love, unattainable._

 _Red – Love_. _Should this be your choice_ , _a colored ribbon will be assigned and provided to you at the registration table._

Boruto read the card again and again. He was given his own invitation this year. For the past years, it was always addressed to the Uzumaki family. True enough, there was another envelope in the mail that read, _'For Naruto, Hinata, and Himawari Uzumaki.'_

"Ah, looks like you finally got your own invitation." Naruto grinned.

Boruto jumped. "Wh-what? Yeah, I did. What is it to you?" He glared.

Naruto laughed. "Bet ya Sakura-chan had to convince Sasuke to give you one."

He pouted. He still didn't understand what the big deal was. This wasn't going to be like any other party for Sarada, and he knew that. She had been planning this since she turned seventeen. Her grandmother was adamant to make sure everything fell into place nicely for this party.

Naruto laughed. "You still don't get what it means, do you?"

Hinata entered the kitchen. "What's this?" she asked with a smile on her face. "Ah, it looks like Sakura-san already released the invitations." Her light eyes moved over to the invitation Boruto was holding. "Oh? You got one addressed to you, huh?" she giggled. She opened the envelope and scanned it quickly. She looked at the rose color guide.

Boruto was exasperated. "I don't understand what the big deal is!" He threw his hands up in the air. "Sarada and I have been friends since we were born. Is it so weird I get one to myself?"

Naruto and Hinata exchanged a look, with smiles on their faces.

"I'll call Ino-san and reserve three pink roses for us," she said to her husband.

Naruto nodded. "Make it a bouquet. Screw that bastard. I'm not just giving my goddaughter _one_ rose on her eighteenth birthday." He laughed loudly.

Hinata nodded and turned to face Boruto. "How about you, Boruto? What color should I reserve for you?"

"He's old enough, Hinata," Naruto interrupted. "Let him go to Ino's flower shop on his own so he can choose."

Boruto felt the heat fill his face. Now he understood why he received his own invitation. He was expected to present her a rose on his own, and not with his family. "I still don't see what the big deal is," he scowled. "Of course, I'm getting her a yellow one."

Naruto and Hinata exchanged sideward glances with each other, small smiles on their faces.

"Whatever you feel for her, that's the color of rose you should get, dear." Hinata smiled.

"Maybe you should get her a blue one," Naruto teased.

* * *

Boruto walked to the Yamanaka Flower Shop with his hands stuffed in his pockets, and a pout on his face. "What's the big deal?" he muttered under his breath. "It's just a stupid tradition. It doesn't even apply anymore. We're just friends…"

He trudged into the flower shop, the bell rang to signal the owner that there was somebody inside. There was a cheery greeting, "welcome!" and after a pause, "oh, it's just you, Boruto."

Boruto's eyebrow twitched. "What a warm welcome, Inojin."

Inojin grinned. He was wearing a green apron with the shop's logo over his purple hoodie. He was moving boxes of roses and orchids over to the side. "Are you here to pick up the bouquet? I just finished arranging them."

"No. I'm here to buy a yellow rose for Sarada."

Inojin nearly dropped the box of orchids. "Yellow?" he screeched. "I didn't peg you to be a liar, Boruto."

He clenched his fists, and stomped on the wooden floorboards. "Will everyone just quit it already? _We're just friends!_ "

Inojin laughed and placed the box down. He plucked out a red rose and pointed it to Boruto. "Are you sure you're not supposed to get one of these?" He smiled slyly.

Boruto grimaced. "Yellow, please."

Inojin pursed his lips. "Are you setting yourself up to be friendzoned _for life_? You do know what this tradition means for an Uchiha, right?"

He laced his fingers behind is head. "You present the debutant with a colored rose, she picks one and places it in her hair. Big deal," he muttered.

Inojin wagged his finger chastisingly at his friend. "Boruto, the Red Rose tradition goes back for over a hundred years. Back when marrying into your clan was _still_ acceptable. Uchihas were known to be nonchalant, but on this occasion, they were expected to drop the sticks up their asses and confess their feelings." He decided to throw in a good insult, just to get the point across further. "You would be considered as the biggest _pussy_ if you presented her a yellow or blue rose, when you so obviously love her."

Boruto scowled. He was _not_ a pussy. "I don't feel for her that way!" he shouted.

Inojin sighed. "When are you going to stop being in denial? Look." His eyes hardened as blue met blue. "We've been selling these roses to the Uchiha clan for years. This tradition is important for them, and my family has been supporting and respecting this tradition for years. If you're just going to chicken out and get her anything less than a red rose, then buy it somewhere else. I'm not going to allow you to ruin this for Sarada."

Boruto glared. This was the only flower shop in town. He would have to take a bus for an hour just to get another one. He would be late for Sarada's party if he did. He chewed on his inner cheek. "Fine. I'm not getting her any, then."

Another customer entered the shop. "Oh, Boruto, Inojin."

"Hey, Denki," Inojin greeted him. "I have yours ready." He walked over to the chiller and plucked out a rose.

"Blue?" Boruto's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "You like her, Denki?"

The boy colored until his ears. "Well, umm… Yes. But I know she won't reciprocate." He lowered his eyes. "Sarada-san has always been unnattainable to me." He then lifted his eyes to meet Boruto's. "I'm cheering for you, though. I know she would be happy with you."

Boruto choked. "There's nothing going on between us. There's no harm in giving her a red rose…" He looked away. "You never know how she might feel towards you."

Denki and Inojin exchanged a look. The dark haired boy grinned. "Are you saying that to me, or to yourself, Boruto-kun?"

It was Boruto's turn to color until his ears.

Denki took the rose and paid Inojin. "Well, I'll see you two later!"

It was just Inojin and Boruto at the shop again. "Sooo…" Inojin looked at his watch. "Shall I pack you a red one? I need to close up shop soon to get ready."

Boruto glared and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Forget it. I'm not getting her a rose." He turned around and left.

* * *

In the invitation, there was no address. It simply stated "Uchiha Mansion." Everyone knew where it was. The Uchiha Clan's family grounds were located on the upscale side of town, up on the hills, isolated from the busy city center. Those who resided in the Mansion were Fugaku and his wife, Mikoto Uchiha. All the official functions and clan affairs were held in his home. It was often rumoured that the house would be given to Sasuke, instead of Itachi, when Fugaku passed.

Boruto pulled at his bow tie for the nth time that night. Was it just him, or was it getting hot in here? The growing sight of the mansion was making him sweat for some reason. His sister sat next to him at the back seat. She was wearing a yellow gown, and a giant bouquet of pink roses sat on her lap.

"Don't worry about not having a rose, Boruto," Naruto said. "The registration table usually has a bunch for people who haven't decided which one to get, yet."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm not getting her one."

Hinata looked at him, a worried expression painted on her delicate features. "Are you sure? I'm not really one to believe it, but that's bad luck for the celebrant."

Boruto stiffened. Was he really going to let his stubbornness ruin this for Sarada? "Really?"

"Bad luck?" Naruto gasped. "I thought it meant you were going to be single for the rest of your life."

Boruto gritted his teeth and punched the back of Naruto's seat. His father, sister, and mother laughed at his naivete.

* * *

Boruto had never been invited to a Red Rose party, but he has been to wedding receptions. This party looked like it would put all the weddings he had ever attended to great shame. The Mansion was well lit, and there were high-end cars pulling up at the main entrance. He watched the Uchihas come out of their vehicles with effortless grace and poise. All of them had dark hair and eyes. It was like seeing Sasuke being replicated a hundred times over.

"Are these all of her relatives?" Himawari asked quietly. She was also watching in wide-eyed wonder. "They all look like movie stars."

Naruto smirked. "Sasuke isn't the only pretty boy in their family, ya know?"

When it was their turn, they all hopped out of the car, and Naruto handed his keys over to the valet boy. As they entered the mansion, there was a registration table. Hinata approached and signed all of their names.

"Welcome, Mrs. Uzumaki," a girl with dark hair and eyes nodded. "You're at table number three with Mr. Uzumaki and Ms. Himawari. Is Boruto Uzumaki with you?"

Hinata nodded and called her son over. Boruto had his hands in his pockets, and looked at the girl.

"You're at table number five." She looked at another list and picked out a fuchsia colored ribbon from the box next to her. She handed it to him. "If you don't have a rose, you can pick one out in the corner. Tie it around the stem and present it to the debutant when you get the chance."

Boruto stiffened. "I'm not getting-" he was interrupted when his father hooked his arm around his neck. "Thanks! You bet he will." He was dragged to the corner towards the roses by Naruto.

"What's the big deal, dad?" He asked, irritated. "I already told you I'm not giving her one."

Naruto shook his head and chided him. "I didn't think you would be this selfish, Boruto. This isn't a tradition you're supposed to take lightly. Uchihas are very honest about their feelings, and they feel way more than any other person would. Her whole family is here. Don't embarrass her."

Boruto looked away, a sour expression on his face. He was already nineteen, and yet his father still had a penchant for lecturing him. It's not that he wanted to embarrass her. He just wasn't sure about how he really felt. He looked at the box of roses, the yellow and pink ones were nearly gone. There were a number of red and blue ones left.

A group of boys approached the box. The first one snickered. "I'm getting her a red one."

"Red?" The second boy asked. "Do you even like her?"

"No." The first one laughed. "I just want to see how she'll react when she sees it."

"Dude, I'mma do that, too! It would be _so_ funny." The third one laughed.

Boruto scowled. He did not like the idea of a bunch of boys treating this tradition like it was some sort of game. It angered him even more to think that they were doing this just to get a reaction out of Sarada.

"You see?" Naruto had a grim expression on his face, his blue eyes also fixated on the boys. "It doesn't feel nice to have her being played around with, right?"

Boruto shook his head. He took a step towards the boys, but Naruto caught his arm. "Leave them to me and Sasuke." He grinned and winked. "Just go choose a rose already."

* * *

He walked over to the box and picked up two roses. One of each color that remained. It looked like he didn't even have a choice anymore. One was blue, the other red. Both signified love, but to bravely ask for her feelings in return, or to resign and assume she would never feel the same?

He decided he needed some air. He went outside to the garden and sat down on the bench. He twirled the two roses in his fingers.

"Oh, Boruto."

He jumped. Before he could hide the flowers, she was already seated next to him.

"A-Aunty Sakura!"

Her green eyes landed on the roses and she smiled. "Can't decide yet?"

"There-there weren't anymore yellow ones… So I had to get one of these. Mom said it was bad luck not to give her one, and you know, I wouldn't want that for her. So I just...umm."

Sakura laughed, effectively cutting off his rambling. "You're so cute, Boruto." She stood up and ruffled his hair. An affectionate gesture she had always done to him for as long as he could remember. "It wouldn't be right for me to dictate which to give her. Just follow your gut." She winked. "It's usually right, you know."

He looked at her with his big, blue eyes. This was the reason why she was his favorite aunt.

"Whichever you choose to give her, I'm sure Sarada will have something to tell you in return."

* * *

Dinner was over, and it was time for Sarada to roam around the ballroom in order to receive her roses. She started at the presidential table. Her father was the first to present her a rose. Her eyes widened—it was red. Tied to the stem was a silk, dark blue ribbon. She smiled and accepted it. She and Sasuke shared a knowing look.

Her mother gifted her a pink rose, one that was the same color as her hair. She hugged her. "Happy birthday, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you."

"Mom, too tight!" When they parted, they grinned at each other.

Later on, she was joined by two assistants to carry all the roses for her. There was a huge pile of pink and yellow. The only roses she held on to personally were from her father and mother. She walked on, her posture never dropping, despite how much her feet ached.

Her dark eyes scanned the room for a familiar mop of blond hair, but never found it. She stopped by her friends' table.

"Sarada! Happy birthday!" Chocho gave her a big warm hug. Right behind her was Inojin and Shikadai. She then noticed they were holding on to pink roses.

She felt her heart swell. "Pink? Really?"

"Of course!" Chocho chirped. "We're practically family, aren't we?"

The two boys nodded and handed her their roses, along with their birthday greetings.

Sarada's mouth went on autopilot. "Have you guys seen Boruto?"

Shikadai and Inojin exchanged smug looks. Chocho flipped her hair. "Come to think of it, I haven't. He was supposed to sit with us."

"Oh." Was all Sarada could say. _The evening was about to end, and they hadn't seen him at all?_

"He's here, don't worry." Inojin laughed nervously. "I saw him earlier at the shop."

Sarada nodded. She waved at them and continued walking around to collect her roses.

As she approached the last table, she collected the last roses. She would then have to go to a room to contemplate whose rose she would wear on her hair, while her guests watched a string quartet's performance, and the host would run through the ribbon colors with the audience.

The assistants carried the flowers to her room, and one of them handed her a slip of paper with the color legend for the silk ribbons. She sat down on the bed and read the paper, taking note of some of the people who had given her red roses. She sighed. Sarada didn't even expect to receive any. She was even more surprised that she received a lot more blue roses.

 _Unattainable._ She thought. _Do I really come off that way?_

The bundle of red and blue roses sat next to her on her bed. She clutched onto the red rose her father gave her a little tighter as she read the list of colored ribbons again, checking who had confessed to her that night.

There was one rose missing.

 _Tap tap._

She perked up and looked behind her. It was coming from the balcony. A knowing smile graced her lips. That idiot always did have good timing.

She opened the door to her balcony, and found Boruto standing there. His hands were behind his back.

"I heard you've been missing in action all evening," she said.

Boruto smirked. "Yeah, and I heard you've been missing me."

She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Anyway." He took a few steps closer to her and said, "I keep hearing how important this tradition is for your clan, and I know uncle Sasuke takes it seriously. But what I don't know yet," he looked right into her dark eyes. "Is how important it is, and what it means to you."

She blinked a few times. She didn't expect him to ask her that. Sarada spoke slowly, "it's important to me, as it's important to my clan. It's nice to know how deep my relationships and bonds are with the people I hold dear to me."

Boruto nodded thoughtfully, digesting her words. "How does it feel to be gifted blue and red roses?"

She gave him a measured look, and answered him carefully. "It's surprising. I would have never known. I didn't expect to receive any, to be honest."

Boruto repeated her words incredulously. "You didn't expect to receive any?" He shook his head and fought back a laugh but failed.

Sarada pursed her lips and her eyebrow twitched. "Are you done laughing at me? Because if you are, I have a rose to choose."

He stopped and straightened up. He suddenly looked so shy. "You're going to seriously choose a suitor?"

She cocked her head to the side. "There is a possibility," she said casually.

"You know, some of those guys only gifted you a red one because they thought it would be funny," he scowled. "I don't want you to pick the wrong one."

Sarada laughed. "I'm sure if I wear Papa's rose in my hair, no one would even dare to come near me."

"What?" He gaped. "Uncle Sasuke gave you a _red_ rose?" Boruto looked so scandalized.

Sarada laughed again. "The debutant's father usually gifts his daughter a red rose, in case she doesn't want to accept a suitor. It signifies that even if I am of age, Papa will still take me under his care, and that I willingly place myself under his protection."

Boruto blushed. "So you've decided you're not going to pick?"

"I don't know yet." A shy smile crept up her lips. "There's one rose missing."

He stiffened. "Well, if you are…" he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, refusing to meet her gaze. He pulled out the red rose from behind his back and presented it to her. "Will you consider me as a suitor, too?"

Silence.

"Do you mean it?" She asked quietly as she reached for the flower.

Boruto looked away, a small pout on his lips. "Of course, I do. I would rather not give you one, than lie to you."

"Well, aren't you the honest one?" She smirked. She twirled the red rose in her fingers, and examined the fuchsia colored ribbon.

Boruto bristled and scowled. "If you're going to turn me down, you don't have to be so mean about it, ya know!"

He stopped his outburst as he noticed that Sarada was tying the rose to her hair.

She tilted her head, for him to see the flower. "There. How does it look?" She had a light blush on her face.

"You look beautiful," his eyes were glazed over, he then smiled sincerely. "As always." He bowed to her and offered Sarada his arm. She rolled her eyes, but she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow.

They both made their way back to the ballroom together.

* * *

"Darling," Sakura called for her husband's attention. "Have you seen Sarada yet?"

Sasuke shook his head. "She should be making her entrance anytime now."

Sakura hummed, a small smile on her face. "I wonder whose rose she'll wear."

Her husband smirked. "Watch out for a dark blue ribbon. I'm confident she'll still choose me."

The doors opened, and Sarada walked in, arm in arm with Boruto. Sakura immediately spotted the red rose on her daughter's jet black hair, strapped on with a _fuchsia_ colored ribbon.

Sakura laughed. "Dark blue? Sorry to break it to you, Sasuke-kun, but it looks like our little girl has chosen a suitor."

* * *

His dark eyes widened upon hearing his wife's words. He spun around so fast, it was amazing his champagne didn't spill. It was then he saw it. A single red rose, tied on with a fuchsia colored ribbon.

Sasuke dropped his champagne glass. He couldn't believe his little girl wasn't so little anymore. _How could she choose that idiot over me?_

Sakura hugged him from behind, trying to comfort him. "Don't worry about it, Sasuke-kun. I'm sure she still loves you."

He looked at his wife with a pained expression. Sakura simply nodded towards Sarada's hand. She was still holding on to the pink and red rose they gave her earlier. Sasuke relaxed.

After a while, he smirked. "Just because she accepted him to court her, doesn't mean they're already together," he said to his wife.

Sakura gave him a hard stare. Her voice had a warning tone to it. "Sasuke-kun."

"Don't forget, she's Itachi and Shisui's favorite, too." He nudged his head towards his brother and cousin. Sakura's gaze landed on them. She could have sworn their eyes were flashing red.

Sakura laughed nervously. "Well, if he's anything like Naruto, he isn't going to give up on her so easily."

* * *

A/N: I imagine Itachi and Shisui to be such overprotective uncles, since they would offer to babysit Sarada for Sasuke from time to time. Hihi. I placed in more details about the Red Rose tradition, since a lot of people have asked about it. I based it off the Eighteen Roses tradition for Debutants in the Philippines. It's kind of hard to explain. But if you want to know more about it, just holler in the review, and I'll try to explain it a bit more. :)

Thank you again to everyone for reading and supporting. Please review!

Happy Easter! :)

~Kairi


	3. The Florist - Inojin

A/N: Thank you for all your kind reviews, and your requests to expand on this AU further. I'm so happy you all liked the twist I placed in this tradition.

Inojin for BoruSara. A little invisible portion that transpired during Sarada's Red Rose party.

Beta read by Tuvstarr's Lost Heart. Thank you so much, darling!

* * *

Inojin shifted his weight on his seat for the 'nth time and huffed. Dinner was already served and there was _one_ seat empty at their table for a certain blond idiot. He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.

" _I'm here to buy a yellow rose for Sarada."_

" _We're just friends!"_

" _Yellow, please."_

The earlier events that happened taken place in the flower shop was playing on repeat in his mind and it was making him furious.

"Will you cut that out? It's so troublesome," Shikadai drawled.

Inojin scoffed and rolled his eyes as he tightened his arms across his chest.

"Are you upset that the arrangement in front of you wasn't your creation?" Shikadai snickered in a feeble attempt to make his friend laugh.

"No," Inojin replied sourly. Although the flower arrangement in front of him was pretty, he could easily think ought of five other ways to make it better. "I'm upset because _my friend_ doesn't want my help because he insists on being an idiot!"

Shikadai looked skyward and released a sigh. "This is such a drag," he muttered. He put his fork down and regarded his friend seriously. It must have been pretty bad if Inojin got riled up about it. "What did Boruto do now?"

"He asked me to sell him a _yellow_ rose for Sarada," Inojin sulked.

The young Nara rolled his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. He was conflicted. They were both his friends, and he could easily understand why they were both upset. However, it was rare for Inojin to be this frustrated, so he decided to indulge his friend and chose his side for now. Besides, Boruto really was an idiot, anyway.

Shikadai smirked. "Boruto's been denying his feelings for Sarada since he was twelve."

"Since he was _born_ ," Inojin's eyes narrowed as he corrected his friend. "He's stupid," Inojin went on. "He's so stupid he doesn't understand how important this event is."

Shikadai released a long and deep sigh. "Not much to do, Inojin."

The blond had never looked so appalled his entire life.

Shikadai quickly raised his hands in surrender. "I mean, come on. The Uchihas like to keep to themselves. Their whole clan is an enigma. To outsiders, this tradition is just a novelty, and heavily romanticised."

Inojin picked up the pink rose sitting in front of him and pointed the flower accusingly at Shikadai. "But it's not to _them_. And _we_ know that well."

"Of course," Shikadai _s_ mirked. "Why would we get her pink roses if we didn't?"

"Exactly!" Inojin agreed, finally relieved that someone here had some sense in him. "If _we_ can admit to Sarada that we see her as a sister, that she's as important as _family_ is to us, why can't that idiot just confess?"

Like, really. Why couldn't he? It was ridiculous. If he and Shikadai could suck it up and tell Sarada this—hell if _Uchihas_ could get rid of the sticks up their asses for one night, why couldn't Boruto do the same?

Inojin went on sulking and muttered to himself, "a _yellow rose_. Dammit. Even Denki had the guts to get her a blue one." He rolled his baby blue eyes.

Inojin pushed the food on his plate a little longer and recalled a certain Saki Uchiha. He was only nine years old at the time, it was summer and he was helping out his mother with their flower shop. Saki was going to have her Red Rose party, and she enlisted the Yamanakas as her flower-supplier. It was a busy summer for Inojin, and he got to spend a lot of time with Saki.

She was a kind girl. Not as reserved as most Uchihas, but she did handle herself with their signature grace and poise. Her long black hair and shiny dark eyes always enthralled Inojin. Sai would often tease him of having a crush at on the older girl, to which Inojin would huff and say he didn't because the only girl he could only ever love was his mother. But he did have a soft spot for Saki. She was like the older sister he never had.

"Inojin-kun," she said softly, as she looked through the flower arrangements Ino left out for her to choose from. "Could you keep a secret for me?"

His eyes widened and he nodded. "What is it, Saki-nee-chan?"

She smiled kindly at him. "I really hope Kenji-kun will give me a red rose at my party."

He blinked for a moment before it dawned on him what she meant. "You love him, Saki-nee-chan?"

She laughed. "Yes, you could say that." She patted his head and smiled at him. "Maybe you're too young to understand why, but I really do. And I hope he feels the same way for me."

Inojin grinned at her. "He will, I'm sure of it! He would be stupid not to like you back. You're pretty and kind."

Saki laughed again and twisted the vase of daffodils in front of her. "I hope you're right, Inojin-kun."

The day of Saki's Red Rose party came. The Yamanaka family was invited to attend. That was the first time Inojin got to see such a grand party. He was enthralled by everything he saw. He even got to present her with a pink rose that he purchased from their shop as well. Inojin would never forget the smile on her face that night.

He never understood why after receiving all the flowers, Saki never showed up again to reveal who she had chosen. She didn't even finish her party. It was only a week later did he find out that Kenji had presented a yellow Rose to Saki, and that she was too heartbroken to come out of her room to enjoy her party. She had locked herself up and cried all night.

When Inojin heard of this from his mother, he quickly arranged a bouquet of red roses for her and rushed over to her residence to deliver it himself. Initially, he lied and said it was from Kenji. But when Saki saw his thorn pricked hands, and the way his gaze shifted away from hers, she knew who the flowers were really from.

Saki accepted the flowers and gave him a warm hug. "Thank you, Inojin-kun. This means a lot to me." The little boy leaned into her embrace and as he returned it, he felt his throat thicken.

Without him realizing, tears began to roll down his cheeks.

"Dude. What the fuck. Are you _crying_?" Shikadai asked.

"No!" Inojin looked away and hastily wiped at his eyes. He was _not_ crying. The roof must be leaking and dropping water on his cheeks or something.

"Sarada! Happy birthday!" Chocho's loud voice pulled him back to reality. He picked up his pink rose and followed Shikadai to approach their friend.

She was tearing up when she noticed the color of roses he and Shikadai were holding. "Pink? Really?" she smiled.

That was when Inojin knew Boruto had to get her a red rose. It was all too clear that this was more than just a tradition to Sarada. It was affirmation-confirmation of how people felt towards her. His thoughts returned to killing Boruto if he gave her anything less than a red rose.

"Of course!" Chocho chirped. "We're practically family, aren't we?"

He presented his pink rose to Sarada with a smile. "Happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday, Sarada," Shikadai said.

Sarada smiled and hugged the two boys at the same time. "Thank you so much," she said earnestly. "Really."

There it was again. Inojin felt his insides twist. He knew how much Sarada treasured her family and friends. He didn't even want to think about how it may hurt her if Boruto gave her the wrong colored rose. He bit his lower lip and realized Boruto wasn't even around. He prayed to Kami she wouldn't notice, but Kami obviously had a penchant for drama.

Sarada asked as she pulled away from their hug, "have you guys seen Boruto?"

The blonde's automatic response was to look at Shikadai. They both shared a smug and knowing look but he was panicking on the inside. He most definitely had not seen Boruto. Heck, he wasn't even sure if he came to the party or not.

"Come to think of it, I haven't," Chocho mused. "He was supposed to sit with us."

"Oh." The way Sarada's eyes fell and her mouth twisted to the tiniest of frowns, made Inojin panic even more.

"He's here, don't worry," he laughed nervously. _Wow. When did I become a liar?_ "I saw him earlier at the shop." _There we go. Follow up with a truth, and all will be well._

Sarada gave him an odd look and Chocho looked at the blonde like he had grown an extra head. Shikadai raised an eyebrow at his peculiar behavior.

The blond rubbed the back of his neck and continued to laugh nervously.

"Sarada-sama," one of the assistants whispered. "The other tables are waiting."

Sarada nodded. She waved at her friends and left.

"What was that about?" Shikadai asked.

Inojin ran a hand down his face. "I need to find that idiot."

* * *

He went searching for his stupid friend. The mansion was huge and there were so many people. Luckily, he bumped into a familiar—and cute—face.

"Hima-chan!" he grinned.

"Inojin-kun, hello!" She returned his smile with her own dazzling one. It was enough to make him forget why he even greeted her in the first place. But damn. Who knew a simple yellow sweetheart cut gown would make her look like an angel. "What're you up to?"

"Ah." What was he up to again? It was a bad habit of his to forget whatever it was he was thinking about whenever he was in Himawari's presence.

"I-uh." He racked his brain. Her expectant gaze just heightened the pressure. He needed to think fast. It was so uncool of him to stutter. "Is your brother here?"

Her blue eyes glimmered in the dim lights. Upon assimilating his question, they widened and she had a confused look on her face. "Isn't he supposed to be with you?"

He chewed on his lower lip. So that idiot was here but hasn't been seen by anybody? How strange. "Ah, I think I saw him head out to the garden." _Another lie_. What the hell was wrong with him tonight? First getting riled up, _not_ crying, and now lying like there was no tomorrow.

Inojin was about to resume his search but before he left he looked over his shoulder, "you look really pretty tonight, Hima-chan."

Her blue eyes widened and heat crept all the way up to her ears. "O-oh. Th-thank you…" She held onto her cheeks and looked down.

He grinned and walked away. She was so cute whenever she would get all flustered like that.

* * *

After twenty minutes of searching, Inojin wanted to give up. The gardens were huge, and so was the foyer. Knowing Boruto he must have snuck into a room, or hidden somewhere no one would find him. For someone so loud and obnoxious, he was good at running and hiding.

Inojin sat down on a bench and took a deep breath. He thought about what was going on for a second.

He thought it was funny that he was doing all of this for a stupid rose, but, it wasn't just about the rose, was it? He and Sarada shared a special bond. Since their mothers' were best friends he always found himself at their home, or vice versa. Inojin thought back to the times wherein he and Sarada would get into epic fights with each other. Both of them had sharp tongues and the end of every fight always resulted in someone crying. —And for the record, it was almost always Sarada—but as the years went on they came to understand each other better, and respect each other.

They bonded over their shared love for flowers and art. Sarada didn't draw, or had the talent for it. But she always supported Inojin's drawings and encouraged him to continue whenever he was in a rut or was experiencing severe art block. Likewise, he would take the time to visit the novel section in the bookstore whenever he was buying art supplies. He would take a picture of the shelves and send it to her, asking if there was anything she might want him to purchase for her.

He smiled and thought about how touched Sarada looked when she received a pink rose from him. Was it really so surprising? They've been friends for as long as they could remember. Surely, she would have already known by now. But then again, this was _Sarada._ She always had some insecurities and doubts when it came to being friends with people. But Inojin was sure that he and Sarada would be friends for life. He was certain their mothers' ghosts would haunt them if ever they drifted apart.

He and Boruto were also friends, and arguably much closer than he was to Sarada by leaps. And that was already saying a lot. Boruto was always being described as "The Sun" by Mitsuki. As creepy and cringe-worthy as that description was, the guy had a point. Everyone loved being around Boruto, and things were always just more fun with him around. They would spend hot summer days by the river, or play games at their favorite burger joint. Now that they were nineteen it was the time for sneaking around at night and drinking liquor and helping Shikadai get rid of the smell of cigarettes on his clothes so it wouldn't raise any suspicions with his mother.

Times might have changed, but their friendship was still as sturdy as a rock. Maybe even tougher since they've already gone through so much together. He laughed at the thought of Boruto cancelling their friendship if he ever made a move on Himawari-which he will. He just needs to enlist Aunty Hinata's help so it'll be a sure win for him.

Once he sobered up from his long train of thoughts, a flash of blonde caught his eye. He saw Boruto walking through the garden, holding on to two roses. It was too dark for him to see what the color was, but he wasted no time reaching his friend.

"Boruto!"

Boruto looked back. "What are you doing here?" his voice was quiet and grim.

"I should be asking you that," Inojin sassed. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the two roses. One was blue, and the other red. He was slightly relieved to see that Boruto wasn't holding a yellow one. A sly grin crept up on his face. "Can't decide if you want to be in the line of fire or in the friend-zone, huh?"

Boruto scowled. "What do you want, Inojin?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Wow. Your bow is on too tight."

The cheap shot made his friend roll his eyes. He sat down on the bench and looked at the two roses with a sad expression on his face. Boruto stayed quiet, which was very unlike him.

Inojin approached him but didn't sit down. He regarded his friend with a soft expression on his face.

"I don't want to ruin what we have," Boruto admitted. "I don't… What if she doesn't feel the same?"

Inojin rolled his eyes. All the sympathy he had for his friend completely rolled off. "I'm sure she does. Even an idiot like your father knows that."

Boruto smirked at the insult aimed at his dad but didn't say anything else.

After a few more minutes of silence, Inojin finally spoke up. "Look, Boruto. You and Sarada have been friends for like, ever. Do you really think something like this will tear you two apart?"

He snapped his gaze up to meet his friend's, looking as if Inojin had struck him. "You were the one who told me how important this is, and now you're telling me it's not? What the fuck, dude."

Inojin released a long and heavy sigh. Boruto really wasn't as smart as people give him credit for. "It _is_ important, Boruto. Which is why you need to confess how you really feel for Sarada. But what I'm saying is, reciprocate or not, she'll always be your friend. She's not the kind to ditch you just because you told her that you love her."

Boruto squinted his eyes, and his mouth hung slightly agape. He looked as if he was struggling to understand what his friend was saying—as if Inojin was speaking in a foreign language.

"She's not that kind of person, and you know that. You can always count on her to have your back and understand you."

Boruto looked away. He seemed to be deep in thought and digesting whatever Inojin said.

Inojin heard clapping and looked back at the foyer. "Oh, shit."

"What?"

Inojin turned back to face his friend. "Sarada's probably done collecting all the roses. You have to go to her and give her yours!"

When his friend made no sign of getting up from the bench, Inojin grabbed on to his lapels and pulled him up from the bench.

"Dude, what hell!" Boruto shouted. Inojin didn't care if he ruined Boruto's tux. He just had to make sure that fucker got a rose to Sarada.

He began shoving Boruto towards the foyer. "Get your ass up to her room and give her that rose!"

Boruto turned around and slapped his hands away. "Why are you pushing this on me? You know, if you want to give her a red rose, do it yourself!"

That's it. Inojin had had enough. "You are by far the biggest idiot I've ever known. I knew this was more than just a tradition for her, but dammit, if you saw the way she teared up when Shikadai and I gave her our pink roses, you'd know damn well why I'm doing this."

Boruto's blue eyes widened as he visibly deflated and lost all anger in his system.

"She was _looking for you_ , you know?" Inojin was seething.

"She… was?"

" _Yes, she was_ ," Inojin spat out. "And _fuck you_. I had to _lie_ to cover for you. She looked so sad when Chubs told her you never showed up at our table."

Boruto looked away.

"Do you hear me? I had to lie. _Twice_ ," Inojin emphasized. "You owe me a burger and fries at the very least."

Boruto laughed. "I really screwed up, didn't I?"

Inojin rolled his eyes. "It's never too late. Now hurry up and go to her room! I think it's upstairs. If we hurry, we can find her door in time."

Boruto smirked. "Actually, I know where her room is. _And,"_ the bastard had the temerity to pause for dramatic effect. "I have a better idea."

* * *

"Where have you been?" Chocho scolded him. "I had to take your dessert, you know."

"Wow, I'm so sorry to have put you through such a tragic predicament, Chubs."

Shikadai smirked. "Anyway, you missed the presentation regarding the colored ribbons. You should have seen the look on Uncle Sasuke's face when it was announced that Boruto's was fuschia."

Chocho giggled. "Aunty Sakura had to hold him down."

Inojin laughed. He certainly missed a golden moment. It was rare for Sasuke Uchiha to show such emotions, but whenever it came down to his daughter's love life, he always seemed to forget his constipation.

After a while, Inojin and the rest of the guests were ushered to assemble near the ballroom doors. Sarada was to arrive and reveal whom she had chosen.

"Do you think she'll be wearing Boruto's?" Shikadai whispered.

Chocho giggled. "I hope so. If not, I'm betting she'll be wearing the one from Uncle Sasuke."

"What colors do we need to look out for again?" Inojin asked.

"Dark blue for Uncle Sasuke," Chocho replied.

"Fuchsia for Boruto," Shikadai said.

He nodded and committed these to memory. If he saw another colored ribbon aside from those two, he was certainly going to lose his shit.

As soon as the doors opened, he immediately noticed the red rose that sat in Sarada's hair. But he couldn't see the ribbon clearly. He did, however, see that she was walking in with none other than Boruto Uzumaki. Sarada's hand was resting on the crook of his arm, and that fucker had the widest and goofiest grin on his face.

"Well, well." Shikadai smirked.

Chocho cooed. "I knew it! _I knew it!_ "

"Dude. _What the fuck_. Are you crying _again_?" Shikadai asked and looked at Inojin with wide eyes twisted lips.

Inojin looked at both of his friends, wearing the biggest smiles on their faces. He finally saw the fuchsia-colored ribbon. He felt so much happiness swell in his heart for his two idiotic friends who had finally _finally_ admitted their feelings for one another. Slowly, he wiped the tear that fell down his pale cheek. "Shut up, Shikadai."

Despite his sassy and sharp tongue, Inojin was a sucker for sweet and pretty things, and—of course—happy endings.

* * *

A/N: I know I marked this story as "complete," and told a few of you that I will not be expanding on this anymore. However, I have a few more chapters planned. Sarada's Red Rose party will be told in the perspectives of her parents, her two uncles, and of course, the debutante herself.

I decided to expand on this when I received a prompt in tumblr: _"No, I'm upset because my friend doesn't want my help because he insists on being an idiot!"_

I thought it was perfect to use, and I love writing about Inojin. ^^

I hope you all enjoyed this story! Please leave me a review and let me know your thoughts.


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